Jose F. Diaz's picture
Jose F. Diaz from Boston is reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel March 20, 2012 - 4:49pm

I almost want to have a vote for the worst story and see if I at least won that.
It makes sense in some weird sadistic way.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. March 20, 2012 - 4:52pm

Now I want to know which one was yours. At least you have your looks.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 20, 2012 - 5:12pm

Don't forget that this is double-elimination. That Bronze race could prove to be even more intense than the one for Gold and Silver.

Besides, Gentlemen prefer Bronze.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies March 20, 2012 - 5:28pm

what do you mean double-elimination? it's single-elimination, the bronze race is for those that are fighting for third and fourth place, i believe.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 20, 2012 - 5:39pm

Is that right? Maybe that is just something that was discussed but never implemented. Or I was talking to myself telling myself that was the case. Oh well, that would be cool if it was because from what I have seen there are some eliminations threatening to take place that actually put some very, very strong writers out of contention.

But I suppose the logistics of double-elim would require a great deal more work. Maybe something to think about for future tournaments?

Nick Wilczynski's picture
Nick Wilczynski from Greensboro, NC is reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin March 20, 2012 - 5:41pm

I assumed it was double elimination, but a bronze match is still double elimination, just a very limited sort of double elimination for the people who lost to those who went on to finals.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 20, 2012 - 5:42pm

Yeah, I just revisited the original rules. Single-elimination. My bad. Maybe I saw that bronze and dreamt about it or something.

 

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 20, 2012 - 5:47pm

@Nick: But double would mean you have to lose twice. Double-elimination would not mock March Madness. One and done.

But it seems like it might allow more cream to rise to the surface.

We should do it! He-he. That would open a can of spidermoths batting their chitinous limbs!

Nick Wilczynski's picture
Nick Wilczynski from Greensboro, NC is reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin March 20, 2012 - 6:05pm

I'll lose all day. I'm a natural born loser.

This isn't march madness, I write a story every time I lose.

Laramore Black's picture
Laramore Black from Joplin, Missouri is reading Mario Kart 8 March 20, 2012 - 6:06pm

Hey babe, take a walk on the wild side.

Profunda Saint-Sylvain's picture
Profunda Saint-... from Calgary, AB is reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy Series March 20, 2012 - 7:01pm

Oh yes! I *think* I may be able to actually join the workshop in the semi-near future! Excited? Yes! It looks as if I may have managed to sweet talk my way into a second job as a cheese-monger. So as soon as I have a credit card I'm allowed to use to, y'know, buy stuff, I'm pretty sure you'll see MORE of me. I know. MORE. Or less, if I'm working 7 days a week. Ugh.

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. March 20, 2012 - 7:08pm

Well I'm up to ten matches read and voted for so far. Some really close calls.

As for the best story poll, well at the moment I could do a top three. Picking one of those three could be tough.

Nick Wilczynski's picture
Nick Wilczynski from Greensboro, NC is reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin March 20, 2012 - 7:22pm

@Utah:

Is there any need, at this point, to keep the (Un) in front of the Official?

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts March 20, 2012 - 7:43pm

Utah, as the new Defender of the People I request of you to put forward adding a "Contest" category so we can have all these War related threads together in one place.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 20, 2012 - 8:03pm

i second that!

Americantypo's picture
Americantypo from Philadelphia is reading The Bone Clocks March 20, 2012 - 8:37pm

Come on litreactors, there's a couple of ties to break! Get the vote out!

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts March 20, 2012 - 10:24pm

I'm trailing by a couple votes. I hope you all burn in furious hellfire.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 21, 2012 - 5:59am

^ that made me giggle. lucky for your story the voting is blind!

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters March 21, 2012 - 6:05am

Well, after thinking about it, plotting revenge against everyone who voted against me will be pretty time consuming.  Instead, I've decided to reward those who voted for me.  ;) 

Grigori Black's picture
Grigori Black from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda Gowin March 21, 2012 - 7:17am

@averydoll

If you're too busy to plot, I'm free after the 26th. Just give me a list of names. Why not have your cake (sweet vindictive revenge) and eat it too?

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters March 21, 2012 - 7:20am

Even if you have to plot against yourself?  That could be strange/awkward.

Jason Van Horn's picture
Jason Van Horn from North Carolina is reading A Feast For Crows March 21, 2012 - 7:22am

Well then fuck me for thinking guidelines should be followed. I'll just shut up and go about my merry, dreadful day.

- side note: I finished watching Carnage a few minutes ago and I just feel like being an ass and not giving a shit today

Grigori Black's picture
Grigori Black from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda Gowin March 21, 2012 - 7:24am

Nah, I'm plotting against myself all the time. So far I'm the only enemy I've had that's lasted all these years. If I don't oppose myself, who would?

Double lives are easy. It's when your double lives have secret identities that things start getting complicated. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check my car for explosives.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 21, 2012 - 11:57am

Read a couple more matchups. Ten down. I love this. Feeling that creativity. We should have a Warorgy when this is over.

@Jason: For what it's worth, I pay fairly close attention to the prompt vibe. But as far as I'm concerned, it in no way has to be bulging and gushing at any point in the story. 

 Latent or thematic implementation of prompts are frequently more powerful anyway. However, if I am at a complete loss to sense the prompt, I will always take this into account when voting, and depending on how close the race is, it may become the deciding factor one way or the other. 

I might be hard pressed to vote against a story that blew my brain socks off though, whether or not I was able to extract the prompt clearly. Especially if the story it went up against was considerably weaker.

I have already seen in a few instances where, in my opinion, a considerably weaker writer is likely moving to the next round. I suppose, just like in sports, things like this happen, although it is less common because it less frequently involves the 'judging' aspect.

From the way this is shaping up, my guess would be that there are going to be some second round obliterations taking place. Downright massacres. Unless of course voters start taking pity or revenge out while voting.

Merit.

But I suppose this is War and War is scarcely fair.

 

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia March 21, 2012 - 12:47pm

What chestie said.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 21, 2012 - 1:47pm

there's been a lot of SUPER CREATIVE prompt interpretation, but really i don't think any of them were far enough off that i even noticed - and the creativity with prompts also made me "well, shucks" a bit and think maybe i should've tried to be more creative in my interpretation.

i'll see quite a few of these in mags. and then, after a couple more drafts, quite a few more. there were several where i thought a concept was better, and had there been a few extra weeks and a few people to go in and say "look, cut this whole section, quicken the pace here, have this happen before this other thing, and BAM! that's fucking awesome," that story would've been the one i picked. so i really don't see a lot of losers n these stories, just room for improvement into awesomeness. that says a lot for stories that have had no editorial eyes...

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts March 21, 2012 - 3:16pm

A lot of the match ups I thought were divided in that one was written really well technically and the prose worked great, and the other took a little teeth-baring to read through but the story/plots were composed really well. It was really tough to decide which ones were worth the vote. A few were just all around good.

 

I'm ready for the authors to be revealed. I wanna know who wrote what. When's the voting til, Friday or Sunday?

 

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 21, 2012 - 3:46pm

The cool thing is all of the work this has generated.

I love the social aspect of it. I suck at writing alone. Well, I suck at writing, but especially dislike the lonesome aspect. This at least creates a less lonely, less suicidal atmosphere.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters March 21, 2012 - 5:52pm

I don't know.  I got pretty suicidal.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 21, 2012 - 6:10pm

Well, I am always suicidal. But this way I am socially suicidal. There is a distinct difference.

Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons March 21, 2012 - 7:04pm

I just put a similar post to this in another forum, but i'll say it here too. The tournament has been great. It offered us to focus our creativity,  then be a part of a bigger thing than ourselves - something social. We got feedback, glorious feedback!  But when it's over, there is a physical let-down if you win or not. Now we have to go back into ourselves and create something else. There is a gap there that we have to jump over and start writing again.

Jason Van Horn's picture
Jason Van Horn from North Carolina is reading A Feast For Crows March 21, 2012 - 7:21pm

I find the coolness of the blade dancing on my wrist a wonderful, comforting feeling.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. March 21, 2012 - 8:21pm

Jason, you are so Morrissey right now.  Tell me is your girlfriend in a coma, maybe you can talk to her on your ouija board.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 21, 2012 - 8:38pm

i've put down my gun. i don't need to/want to use it on any of you. all i need is my badass eyeliner tats and cokewhore make-up.

yeah.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz March 21, 2012 - 9:56pm

Lovely.

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia March 21, 2012 - 10:04pm

Sweet mandalynn! Lookin sharp honeybunches!

Flaminia Ferina's picture
Flaminia Ferina from Umbria is reading stuff March 22, 2012 - 3:50am

I keep playing the guess game and I think I spotted Moon's, Nick Wiczwinlsky's, and a couple more (besides their opponents duh). I'm writing their names in the files properties, let's see if I know my chickens, lol.

I'm also socially destructive! And stalkative!

Americantypo's picture
Americantypo from Philadelphia is reading The Bone Clocks March 22, 2012 - 6:49am

So, there are TWO ties right now. Who hasn't voted yet? And this goes till Sunday and Utah has a tie breaker if it comes down to that?

Americantypo's picture
Americantypo from Philadelphia is reading The Bone Clocks March 22, 2012 - 6:53am

As far as spotting stories, there are a few that I think I spot, but I'd bet money on Richard's after having just read his last thunderdome comp with Laurence, and I'd bet a kidney I know which one Nikkis is. Which, by the way, I choose cause the language was so fucking out there and I loved it, though the other story was good in its own way. Ha, come to think of it, I don't even remember if it followed the prompt or not! It was a real kick in the brain balls and I just clicked on it for my vote like a zombie.

Americantypo's picture
Americantypo from Philadelphia is reading The Bone Clocks March 22, 2012 - 7:10am

Ah! One tie just broken! Another one needs to be taken care of, and there's a few that could still go either way people!

My vacation started this morning, so I'm trolling this site a bit before I go to Gettsyburg. Staying at a haunted bed and breakfast for a few days, called the Farnsworth House.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry March 22, 2012 - 7:12am

@AT:  Yeah, right now I'm resting on my laurels waiting to break ties.  That way my knowledge of who wrote what will have as low an impact as possible on the results of the polls.  At first I thought I'd have to vote to see the results of the polls, but Dakota rescued everyone from my bias by pointing out the "results" button. 

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 22, 2012 - 7:14am

oh man,don't make Utah the tiebreaker. that makes me nervous, to have one person's withheld vote determine the mover-onner. how 'bout if there's a tie, Utah can just open a few hour long emergency poll and have everyone arund/available re-vote in tie-breaker matches. OR OR we flip a coin!!!

 don't think we'll end up with any ties, really. something will tip them one way or the other....

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry March 22, 2012 - 7:27am

There are going to be complaints about seeding.  There are going to be votes that go an unexpected direction because of that ancient adage of marketing:  "There's no accounting for taste."  

Understand:  the positions for seeding were not historically unjustified.  Most of them have been based upon workshop performance (although you are about to see a couple of upsets that were pulled off by people who we haven't seen much or any of in the workshop, making it impossible to seed them appropriately).  Some were based on reputation.

But you’ve all been reading the thread as much as I have.  You guys are all taking this WAR very seriously!  To a level that I find both inspiring and humbling, because the spirit of good-natured competition  is just incredible.  And that has led to some not-so-expected results.  Some folks who tend to plant lower-performance roughs in the workshop sat down and did their deadlevel best to bring the thunder as hard as they could this round.  Nobody took their competitor lightly and nobody threw in the towel because they got intimidated.  Nobody let anybody off the hook.  And when you get people trying their best to perform at a level higher than they typically do, you’ll get unexpected results. 

This initial disagreement is a testament to the fact that everybody is making this event as competitive as possible and I'm proud to be a part of that.

That said, I'd like to tell everybody who has participated in this event, while I still have all of you here in one place, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your participation and comradeship.  You guys seriously kick ass.

I will be starting another thread (because as we all know, I love to start threads!) soon that will be dedicated to taking input from you guys on how we can make the next WAR a better, happier place to fight to the death.

manda lynn's picture
manda lynn from Ohio is reading Of Love and Other Demons (again) March 22, 2012 - 7:38am

this is good, healthy discussion-fighting. tis nice! i like it.

Flaminia Ferina's picture
Flaminia Ferina from Umbria is reading stuff March 22, 2012 - 7:42am

Utah.. yes, yes we'll fight to the death

 

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia March 22, 2012 - 7:55am

It's all good. This thing really gained momentum! Awesome. And thx @typo!

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia March 22, 2012 - 8:12am

@everyone thx letting me participate in this and for reading my story. I want to congratulate meat seeker for bringing her game and hope she does well in the second round. As well I will be putting gift packages together for the top 4 and the final winner will receive one of my signed inappropriate tarot decks by Daniel Donche. Packages will likely be sent in may. So of you are one of the top four make sure to message me your address. A bunch of local and not so local music and other cool stuff is going to be in the packages.

Cheers!

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest March 22, 2012 - 8:56am

Awww... You leaving us Nikki?

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia March 22, 2012 - 9:40am

Yup yup :-) but I'll still be around voting on the next rounds fo sure! My ass got smoked!

R.Moon's picture
R.Moon from The City of Champions is reading The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion; Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schimdt PH.D; Creating Characters by the editors of Writer's Digest March 22, 2012 - 9:47am

Really? Well, keep coming around. We'll miss ya.